Want to bake artisanal bread in a Dutch Oven? Here’s an easy Dutch oven with a crispy crust and soft inside: perfect for sandwiches.
Looking for an easy to make bread recipe? And has that perfect crunchy bread texture? Check out our Dutch oven bread recipe! It has a nice crust and artisanal bread appearance, but only takes about 30 minutes of active time. It’s baked in a Dutch oven to achieve that crispy, crunchy exterior. And the taste? It has a very slight Greek yogurt flavor and is the perfect texture for making sandwiches. I like to call it “cheat sourdough” because it is Away less work than sourdough and just as delicious. Because Alex and I are so excited about the benefits of baking homemade bread, we also made a video tutorial. Bring the bread!
Related: 12 easy Dutch Oven recipes
Video tutorial: Dutch oven bread
This casserole bread is super easy to make: the only tricky part is shaping the dough into a nice loaf shape. Since it’s hard to describe in words, we’ve created a video tutorial to walk you through each step! Here I am in our kitchen to show you how it’s done!
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Ingredients for Dutch Oven Bread
To make the best Dutch Oven Bread, you need a handful of very specific ingredients. To ensure you get perfect results every time, it’s important to follow the recipe exactly as it’s written. For this Dutch Oven Bread recipe you will need:
- all purpose flour
- bread flour
- whole wheat flour
- Kosher salt
- Instant or active dry yeast
- Purified water
- greek yogurt
Note that we managed to bake bread in a dutch oven using plain coconut yogurt, so it’s possible to make this bread vegan if desired.
How to make Artisanal Dutch Oven Bread
Now Alex is the master bread baker at our house, and he devised this simple method for people (like me!) who might not be ready for the sourdough work. As I mentioned before, I like to call it “cheat sourdough” because that’s what it is Away less work than sourdough and just as delicious. It takes very little time: most of the time in the recipe you have to wait for the bread to rise and cook. You will need a stand mixer and a Dutch oven for this recipe. Here are the basic steps to baking bread in a Dutch Oven.
- Knead the dough (10 minutes). Our recipe uses three types of flour to achieve the perfect taste and texture of artisanal bread and it is a Greek yogurt bread recipe to bring in a light flavor. You will use a stand mixer to knead the dough as it is too sticky to knead by hand.
- Let the dough rise (about 1h30). Allow the dough to double in volume in a warm place. We usually use our oven safe setting and cover our bread in a reusable plastic bag.
- Shape the dough (5 minutes). Shape the dough into a loaf of bread. The easiest way is to watch the video above for this part!
- Let the dough rise again (30 minutes). Let the dough rest again, this time at room temperature. Begin by preheating the oven with the Dutch Oven inside.
- Bake the dough (40 minutes). Place your bread directly in the Dutch Oven and bake for 17 minutes. Then remove, reduce oven temperature and bake for another 23 minutes.
That’s it! You’ll find this bread tastes AMAZING and has the perfect crunchy crust and soft interior. It’s definitely a favorite in our family. And we love that the texture is perfect for sandwiches. Are you ready to bake bread in a Dutch Oven? Go to our recipe below.
Related: Recipe for raspberry plaited bread
Can I add seeds or grains to Dutch Oven bread?
We didn’t try to put grains or seeds on this Dutch bread or mix it into the dough itself. If you fancy a crusty bread, we recommend making our No-Knead Artisan Multigrain Bread. It’s also very easy to make and tastes amazing!
Can I freeze unknead bread?
Yes, this artisan no-knead bread freezes incredibly well. You can either freeze the whole loaf or pre-slice the loaf and freeze it that way (this method works well if you plan on using it for sandwiches over a long period of time). Just note that you must freeze this bread in a freezer bag, otherwise it may burn or dry out during freezing.
Our recommended Dutch Oven
If you’re interested in trying homemade Dutch oven bread, you probably already have a Dutch oven! But if you’re looking for a Dutch Oven or an upgrade, here are the Dutch Ovens we use and recommend:
Rnecessary tools
In addition to a Dutch oven, only a few tools are required to prepare bread in the Dutch oven! We linked to the exact tools we used in the video, but feel free to use whatever works for you!
- Large Dutch oven
- Stand mixer for kneading (or this cheaper variant)
- Plastic bag for rising (reuse every time you bake bread)
- Kitchen scales for measuring
- parchment
- Scraper bench to shape the dough
- A lame or sharp knife for scoring bread
- Oven gloves to easily remove the bread from the oven (optional)
We hope you try our method of baking bread in a Dutch Oven: let us know if you try it and what you think! Let us know @acouplecooks or in the comments below. And one last thing, this bread is perfectly spread with butter and some homemade strawberry jam (just a tip!).
Looking for more Dutch Oven recipes?
If you love baking bread in a slow cooker, here are some other recipes you’ll enjoy:
Related: Fancy a quick bread? healthy banana bread
This recipe is…
This artisan casserole bread is vegetarian and has a vegan, dairy-free and plant-based option (see below).
The description
Want to bake artisanal bread in a Dutch Oven? Here’s an easy Dutch oven with a crispy crust and soft inside: perfect for sandwiches.
- 200 grams all-purpose flour (1⅓ cups)
- 200 grams bread flour (1⅓ cups)
- 80 grams whole wheat flour (½ cup)
- 11 grams kosher salt (½ tbsp)
- 6 grams Instant or active dry yeast (2 teaspoons)
- 325 grams purified water, room temperature (1⅓ cups)
- 50 grams Greek yogurt (¼ cup) or a simple vegan yoghurt substitute*
- Mix dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, kosher salt, and baking powder. Mix lightly with the dough hook. Add water and Greek yogurt and stir again until well combined. (Note: You will need a food processor for this recipe as kneading by hand will be too sticky.)
- Let the dough rise: Place bowl and dough hook on stand mixer and knead on low speed for 8 minutes. After mixing, pour the batter into a small bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place (we use an 80° oven) until doubled in size – 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
- Preheat pot: When the dough has risen, place a Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 475°F. Prepare a piece of parchment paper about 8 inches wide and 12 inches long.
- Shape the dough (see video instructions!): Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; The dough should be shaped into a slightly round shape. Rub just enough flour onto the dough so it isn’t sticky. Use the spatula to turn the dough over so the floured side is facing down. Gently pull the dough into a rectangle. Quickly fold the top third of the dough down and the bottom third up to form a bundle. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and gently roll into a bar shape. Be careful not to squeeze or deflate the dough. Using your hands, gently pinch the dough and pinch the seams at the end of the dough. Carefully transfer the dough to the parchment paper and let it rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Baking bread: After the dough has rested, use a lame or sharp knife to cut a shallow slit at an angle in the top of the dough. Remove the lid from the Dutch oven as quickly as possible with a hot pad and carefully place the parchment paper with the dough in the Dutch oven. Cover and set the timer for 17 minutes.
- Lower the oven temperature and continue cooking: After 17 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Using a hot pad, remove the Dutch Oven, gently prying out the bread. and place the bread directly on the oven rack. Cook for another 23 minutes.
- Cool the bread: Remove the bread from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes. After cooling, the bread is ready to eat. Store bread in tissue paper or in a bread bag on the counter for up to 2 days, or freeze in a plastic bag wrapped in foil for several months.
Remarks
*This casserole bread has been successfully tested with natural coconut yoghurt as a vegan alternative.
- Category: Bread
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: American
Keywords: Dutch Oven Bread, Artisan Bread Dutch Oven, How to Bake Bread in a Dutch Oven, How to Bake Bread in a Dutch Oven, Greek Yogurt Bread Recipe
